Devil of the Opera
by Love Lenore
Summary: AU: Something delays the Phantom from watching Christine's Aria in Hannibal. And the Angel of Music has been visiting him in dreams whispering of a way for him to be a man... Will he lose this chance forever? RR, please.


Reminder : I dun own anyone except Rosesette! This is a AU/Alternate Dimension story! And it takes place around the time Christine begins to sing in the Opera for the first time! Please Read and Review!

Erik grinned as he spied on people in the alley. He was on top the rooftops of broken down buildings. Erik had never felt so alive in his life! Soon, he was going to make Christine his. He was her Angel after all. Within the mask, his eye glowed a red color as he watched the people down below. "With my beauty I will become handsome." He said. He had heard the Angel of Music in his dreams whispering the answer to all his problems.

_If a beauty was to love a beast like you and give you a kiss free of fear... you will become a beautiful man and you shall have your happy ending._

Erik stared down at the people and suddenly one certain person caught his eye. She was not beautiful nor was she dressed any different- but she was in his mind. She seemed to have a glimmer around her. A light that radiated from her body and through her clothes, yet no one else paid any attention to her. Taking the side building stairs, he went down to watch her closely. She wore a dark green coat that made her red hair stand out more and her blue eyes were not as beautiful as Christine but he had to watch her more.

Erik followed her by carefully jumping from building to building and he watched as she walked and how she moved and how she was indifferent to those around her. She was not as beautiful as Christine was, but she had Erik's whole attention. Erik didn't even realize he missed Christine's performance in the play, 'Hannibal.' He merely kept watching and following this girl until she walked herself into a dead end. He stared at her dumdfoundedly and then suddenly she looked up and looked directly at him. Frightened, Erik stood there shocked like a deer in headlights.

"Come down here." She commanded with an accent of an American.

"I do not take orders from humans." He replied cooly as he regained his nerves.

"Devil Phantom, come down here." She barked at him. She was a fiesty one, but that was loud enough that people heard her and begun to observe him.

"I am so sorry, Mademoiselle! But it seems I am late for an appointment!" Erik said as he reminded himself he had missed Christine sing. He flug his cape over himself disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Erik sat on his birdshaped bed and growled at himself. He mentally kicked himself again and again. 'Raoul,' his inner voice said angrily to itself, 'had taken Christine out to supper! If I only would have been here a moment sooner she would be here with me!' Erik stood up and went to his organ and begun to play furiously angry music of the night. If it wasn't for him suddenly following that red-haired woman, he would have been with Christine at this moment now! Singing his songs for her right now! He sighed. 

"Why?" He asked himself aloud. "Why did I follow that girl and miss one of the first chances to let Christine look into my eyes and fall in love with me?"

"Perhaps, my dear Phantom-" Interjected a voice. "It is because you are more man then Devil." Erik already knew there was nothing to fear from this voice.

"Madame Giry!" He sang loudly. "How nice of you to come and witness my sorrowful music of the evening! How long shall you stay with me this time!"

"Erik, do not speak to your mothering figure in such a way!" Madame Giry sat by Erik's sat at his organ. "Give up on Christine."

"Give up?" His voice begun to break. "I cannot give up! I must have her kiss me.. so I can be a normal man." Erik played at his organ furiously.

"You cannot win her heart with mirrors and smoke tricks, Erik!" Madame Girl put her hand on his back. "Her heart lies with Raoul now. Find another-"

"I invested," He begun to sing softly. "I invested my life in her,  
and now it seems as another took my place.  
Even if it wasn't that way-  
one look at my horrid face and she would be  
leaving...  
leaving..." Erik's voice begun to die down to a whisper. "I seem to recall...  
A time when she said she loved me.  
Yet, her voice trembles  
everytime I begin to speak..."

"Erik, come tomorrow and watch 'Hannibal.'" Madame Giry asked of him. "Erik, although she chooses another. As her teacher, you owe it to her to watch her perform."

"That Raoul character sits in my seat!" Erik said hissingly. "Box 5! I tell them all to keep box 5 empty and they continue to disobey my orders! Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur Andre will pay for their treachery!"

"I bought box 5 for tomorrow evening's show." Erik looked at Madame Giry for a moment. "You will have it all to yourself, Monsieur Phantom." Madame Giry stood up and walked away.

"Thank you." Erik said suddenly. Madame Giry smiled. "Thank you, mother."

Erik sat in his best suit of dark purple color with his mask on, freshly polished. He was simply delighted to see Christine in her ..._second_ time being the lead actress of a famous Opera. Erik sank in his seat a bit thinking of how horrible he was to have missed her play the first time. The opera was beginning and the audience died down with their useless chatter.  
Erik couldn't help but smile. This was a full house! He had heard from the stagehands talking that Christine Daae was the most beautiful voice they had ever heard in all their years of working for the Opera House. 'It was because of my teaching!' The Phantom thought proudly.

As Christine entered in on act three to perform her 'Think of Me,' Aria something caught the Phantom's eyes. Erik looked down to see that red-haired woman from the night before right here in his Opera House! He quickly memorized that she sat in row 2 seat 10. In his mind he commented that aside from box 5, that was one of the best seats in the house! Erik stared at her much longer than he really meant to. Had he met this woman before? No,there was no way. For after Madame Giry rescued him from the evilness of the gypsies, he had spent almost all of his years in the Opera House Populaire. The few moments he left it was to observe human life as he could never live it. All his clothes and food and drink came from the Opera House, even that bird shaped bed was a prop of the house. Soon, he felt himself not being able to look away from this young girl. It wasn't until she returned his gaze that he stopped looking at her. 'Damn it!' He thought and cursed himself. 'Now she knows where I am seated!' Then, Erik realized, Christine's Aria had long since ended and he had been staring at this young girl for about an hour or so! Erik blushed with frustration as he got up and ran away into his lair.

Erik sat in his lair a while longer until he was sure Christine was in her dressing room. Erik got up and ran down the path that led to the mirror in Christine's room. He listened closely. He could tell that Christine was in there for she was humming a soft melody. "Bravo..." He said low enough for her to hear it.

"Angel?" She stood up and looked around her room. "Angel, please appear before me!"

"Flattering child you shall know me..." He begun to sing. "See why in shadow I hide-"

"Christine! Hurry up! Our carriage awaits us!" Came the voice of man!

"Raoul a moment please!" Christine said smiling and sang to her 'Angel.' "Angel I am so very happy  
Surely you would understand  
I must leave now for a moment  
I will see you again some time!" A rushed movement was heard in the Phantom's ear and the door of Christine's room flew open and shut hard behind it.

The Phantom became overly enraged by all this! In his room he smashed up some of his chairs and tables and ripped apart some dolls and paintings he had of Christine. "I have lost already when I have not even begun to woo her?" The Phantom sat at his organ as he usually did when he was angered. He played a harsh and loud melody. It echoed off the walls of his cave-like home beneath the Opera House Populaire. "And what of that woman who sits in the seat 10 of row 2? Why am I spying on her?" He growled furiously. His music became demented in sound. He played at the organ until a friendly touch at his shoulder made him stop playing.

"Mother..." Erik turned to face Madame Giry. "I am sorry... If I played my music so all could hear it again.. But-"

"It is alright Erik... In fact, I have the name of the woman in seat 10 row 2." Madame Giry smiled.

"Oh yes! You are the box manager as well!" The Phantom said. "Who is she if I may ask?"

"Rosesette Turner." Madame Giry responded immediately. "For the past few months she had taken a strange interest in the Opera House. She has been to every Opera atleast once in the past year."

"Why had I not noticed?" Erik asked dumbly.

"You had been so swept up in Christine is why." His mother explained to him. "You have not thought of anyone since Christine came to age! And this Rosesette sits in the same seat everytime she comes to watch the Operas."

"This is very suspicious!" Erik said aloud. "No youth her age cares so much about the Operas... Nor can they afford them!"

"Erik stop being silly." Madame Giry sat up and walked away. "It is almost midnight! Get some sleep for once. It would be unbecoming for your handsome side to have any restlessness in it!" She laughed jokingly at his misfortune.

Erik lay in bed but he was unable to sleep that night. His thoughts were filled with something. A strange erotic music he had never thought up before. His thoughts were set on Christine... but slowly it wasn't her face he saw anymore. It was of another woman. Of this Rosesette. As he drifted to sleep his Angel of Music sang to him of Beauty and the Beast. Of love changing him to be a handsome man. A kiss that he must earn and not steal.

The Phantom moved along the rooftops at night-time hoping he can catch a glimpse of this Rosesette Turner. Erik looked down at every street he pass but there was no one that even looked like her. He had wandered the rooftops of Paris even to the city limits where he stopped. He should have known there were far too many people in this city for him to just come across her.

"Looking for me?" Came a soft and soothing voice from behind him.

"Eh!" Erik spun around to come face to face with the young woman he searched for! He took a step back. For once, he was the one caught offguard!

"Stop stalking me, Sir Phantom." She spoke to him calmly. "I merely love the opera, I am sorry if my presence alarms you."

"You are mistaken." Erik glared down at the girl. "Leave my sight before I catch you with my noose." The Phantom felt like she would run away at that moment. He had killed men with his 'magical lasso' before. She must have surely know of it since she identified him as the Phantom. Unluckily, he did not bring his noose and she did not back away.

"I have found you following me as I walk down on the streets! I found you staring at me in the Opera House and for a long while! I could feel your vision on me the entire time." Rosesette stomped her foot. "I demand you leave me alone, devilman!"

"Devilman!" The Phantom laughed deeply. "How dare you talk back to me, woman!"

"Hmph!" Rosesette stepped up and smacked him right in the face sending his mask flying off his face.

'She saw!' Erik's mind roared. 'I want her to run in fear of my voice and not of my face!' Erik braced for the bloodly scream of terror, but there came none. He looked down at her. Then he wondered why he didn't take the usual reaction of slappin gher back or of murdering her right there with his bare hands. He had not even screamed at her. She frowned.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it go flying." She bent down and handed it to him. He slowly took it for her hands and adjusted it to his face. "Please, it is scary for me to think you are haunting me, Phantom. Good-bye." Rosesette walked off towards a small part of the building that stuck out and she entered in it.

In his lair the Phantom sat at one of his tables and was lost in thought as he stared into the glowing light of his candles. That woman had not screamed at his horrible face. Why hadn't he lashed out as he had done to the few before who caught a glimpse of the man behind the mask?

The Phantom wrote to the managers of his Opera House to cast Christine as countess and not as the pageboy which was to be played by La Carlotta. The Phantom chuckled as he thought of La Carlotta's face when she found out she was the pageboy! Much to his distrught they had reversed what he commanded them to do. Erik became enraged as he once again took his seat at the organ bench and begun to play a few melodies to soothe his soul. The music embraced him in it's sweet and loving arms. The music carried him to a far away place where he was accepted and was considered a beautiful person. Erik begun to sing like he never sang before. He didn't know what he was saying but he said it anyway! It was then he stopped and thought up a plan to make Christine the led role on the openning night of Il Muto! He would create a potion of sorts to cause La Carlotta to croak! La Carlotta always had a vocal cleanser on stage handy. One spray of what the Phantom had in mind and she would lose her voice immediately to the sound of frogs and toads! The Phantom laughed heartily as he continued to play this happy tune in his mind. The Phantom was mixed with emotion for he knew that Christine became closer and closer to Raoul with each passing moment. But the Phantom was sure she would be his in the end. Erik poured out these emotions unto his organ. "Will my song ever take flight?" He asked nobody patiently.

On the night of production, Erik crept onto the higher, higher levels of the house to find that Raoul was once again in his seat in box 5! The Phantom had already switched La Carlotta's spray bottle for his so perhaps if he voiced himself, it could La Carlotta to re-spray. 

"Did I not instruct-" The Phantom boomed loudly, "that box 5 was to be kept _empty_!" He stood staring down at La Carlotta refuel her voice after calling Christine a toad. "Perhaps it is you who are the toad." Erik exited through the door behind him. Joseph Buquet saw him and decided to follow the Phantom to see where it was he went exactly! Right before Erik went to open a passage to his lair he heard the footsteps of someone following him. The Phantom ran out into the catwalk and claimed up into a window of a storage room up stairs. He looked out to see Joseph rushing around looking for him. Erik had come close to being caught and now he was stranded in this room! Soon an old feeling begun to arraise in him and he blacked out.

As the Phantom regained his vision he realized he had just hung Joseph! He looked down below to see Joseph's body release a jolt after jolt until he finally fully died! 'Oh no!' The Phantom ran out and into a passageway under a board. 'I have killed again!' The Phantom then heard Christine's voice singing... He raced towards it to find himself exiting out of a monsterious horse statue. HE listened as Christine spoke of how the Phantom was terrorizing everyone. The Phantom peered over to watch as Raoul held Christine to him closely, calming her with flowing promises to keep her safe from the Phantom. They then exited the roof.

"The rose..." Erik bent down to find Christine had dropped a rose he had put in her dressing room. Erik was mystified by it. Why was he not more angry? The Phantom stepped towards the edge of the building and he focused his vision on the streets below. He hopped down towards the parts of the Opera House that stuck out until he was close but a safe distance from the street. He saw that Rosesette woman again. It looked like she had stepped outside to take a smoke as she was leaning her back against the wall. She looked up and managed to find the Phantom staring at her once again. She motioned her hand to him to follow her. She begun to walk into an alley way and Erik followed. He would not have normally. Usually, once someone spot him he would go running or hide.

"Monsieur Phantom!" Rosesette threw him a scowl. "I am very, very unfamilar with the french ways of romance, but if you think that staring at me and stalking me will cause me to love you, you won't have any idea what I can do to you!"

"I assure you, Mademoiselle, I am not stalking you!" He shouted. "Everytime I look somewhere you are _there_! Forgive me if you have bad timing of place!" Erik turned away from her.

"Listen," Rosesette started, "I am not looking for trouble! Although..." She chuckled. "You must be!"

"And what ever do you mean by that? _Mademoiselle_?" Erik turned to face her once again.

"You made La Carlotta choak!" Rosesette laughed dryly. "You also killed a stagehand! Causing 'Il Muto' to have to continue _next_ week!" She put her hands on her hips. "Could you please, Monsieur, keep your murders at a time better than DURING the Opera?" Erik turned red with anger! "Although your decision to retire La Carlotta and bring forth Christine was a pleasant one! I love the operas this house holds but that woman butchers them! Slays them!"

"I whole heartedly agree!" The Phantom nodded. "That woman cannot sing for atleast another few months!" He laughed deeply and evil in fashion. Then he stopped as he realized he was conversing with this woman. He had never carried a conversation with anyone before aside from Christine or Madame Giry. "I forget myself - I, am the Phantom of the Opera." He bowed low enough his mask didn't slip off.

"Rosesette Turner." She bowed towards him. "Forgive me for I don't curtsey."

"You do not even wear a dress." He commented. "If not for your face and body I would find you to be a young man!"

"How rude of a Phantom you are!" Rosesette turned her cheek and walked past him. "Perhaps I shall see you later! Spying on me, that is." She giggled as she proceeded to just walk out.

Erik stared at himself in the mirror with his mask on. He stared long and hard at himself and then removed his mask to see how he could go from being charming in appearance to looking like some sort of awful beast! He growled in contempt of just stopping his tricks and prank upon the Opera House and its inhabitants. It was quite obvious to him Christine was already lost to him. Yet, the Phantom's obession convinced him it was not over yet! The Phantom went to his organ and begun to write with a passion unheard of in any story or fairy tale.

Erik laughed as he entered the Masquerade ball Monsieurs Firmin and Andre held in celebration of the new year. It had been 3 months since anyone had last heard of the Phantom aside from Madame Giry. Erik walked in dressed like Red Death with his mask which appeared to be part of a human skull and his red dress-suit which made him appear to be a dashing bull-fighter of Mexico! Before he could make his move down the stairs to stalk towards Christine and her unsuspecting lover he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around angrily to find Rosesette behind him. Although she too wore a mask, he could just feel that it was her. He gawked at her dress for all times he saw her she was in a long coat or dressed like a young man. Her dress was a bright green and her mask looked like a butterfly.

"What are you supposed to be? Death?" Rosesette giggled as she started their conversation.

"Red Death." He said impatiently. Erik's moment to spook Christine and Raoul was running out. "And you? Mother nature?"

"Exactly!" She pulled her mask away from her face to show she wore no make up. "Where have you been these months..._Monsieur Phantom_?" She said his title lowly.

"Busy. As I am at this moment!" Erik whispered. "Now if you shall excuse me!" Erik made his entrance down the steps to find Christine and Raoul had already went somewhere else. 'Ah, still then.' Everyone was silent. ALthough most of the people had never seen him before, they knew he was the Phantom of the Opera! "Did you miss me, my good monsieurs? I have written you an opera!" He threw a large book of papers at Andre and Firmin. "I have already casted the characters! Show this opera next or you will pay _dearly_." He spun on his heel and the trap door below him openned on command and closed in ring of fire.

Erik sat on top of the tallest part of the Opera House. He sighed as he looked down on all those people in the streets in their carriages, shops... everywhere. They never had to live with this monstrous face and it was easy for them. As someone touched his shoulder, Erik almost fell off the roof of the Opera House.

"Who dare-" Erik turned his head to the person and dropped his guard seeing it was only the Rosesett. "Now who is the stalker?"

"I will admit-" She confessed. "I so miss your face as I would look up to see whose eyes' it was that watched over me." She took a seat next to Erik and Erik scooted away from her. This closeness was disturbing to him. "If I didn't know you were a Devil... I would think of you as an Angel!"

"Angel?" Erik growled lowly. "Angel, indeed! Never call me such things ever again!"

"You are a very mad person!" Rosesette said pointingly. "Much like my father."

"I am angry for a good reason! You saw that reason!" Erik blushed deeply remembering she saw his unmasked face. Luckily she was seating next the the masked side and cold not see his redness.

"My father had a condition like your's." Rosesette stated simply. "Except it covered all his face." Erik gave her a side-long glance. Her father... had his condition!

"My dear... I am a monster-" Erik said in a whisper. "Surely, beauty like yourself doesn't come from a beast."

"He wasn't a beast." Rosesette scoot closer to him. "He was but an Angel. You might be a Devil... but I believe you might be part Angel."

"What are you talking about?" The Phantom looked back down at the street and at the busy lives of others.

"You wouldn't know-" Rosesette smiled at him. "Your parents didn't have you long enough to say anything-" Next Rosesette felt was Erik's choak hold on her throat.

"Parents? My father died when I was born from the sight of me! And my mother did not look at my unmasked face! She sold me to a circus!" The Phantom saw the girl's face turning red and he let go quickly. "I am a Devil..." Erik leap to his feet. "Mademoiselle Turner, as much as I enjoy your company it is better for you to not get involved with a man such as myself."

"There you said it!" Rosesette only gave him a bright smile.

"Said what?" He frowned.

"You called yourself a man and not a monster!"

Erik sat on his bed. He begun to have doubts in his mind about going to the Opera above and pretending to be Piagni who was acting as Don Juan. The Phantom rose from his bed and put on his black mask that covered all his face except his mouth. He had an immensely bad feeling about going out above and performing with Christine. He had not spoken with Christine for such a long time.

The Phantom appeared behind Piagni with his lasso at his side but paused. 'No...' He told himself. 'I won't kill Piagni.' He tapped Piagni's shoulder and punched him in the face as Piagni turned. Erik pulled Piagni to the side and under a table. It was time for the Phantom to sing!

Erik stepped out from behind the curtain and saw Christine sitting on a stump, unsuspecting that he was now playing Don Juan. He sang to her but now his words were not filled with any passion towards her like he thought. Christine got up and looked at the Phantom as she begun to sing back at him with all the fury the Phantom felt was missing his in voice. As they both acted together and the song was almost over- Erik whispered words into Christine's ear. Erik felt wrong. This was all wrong! As Erik stopped singing to glance down at Christine she had pryed off his mask! Erik growled at her as he turned and swirled her around with him them both disppearing into a trap door beneath their feet! He led her down a hidden path towards his dungeon.

"Why?" He shouted at her face looking into her eyes. Erik turned away from her for a moment. "What had I ever done to you! Christine! I have left you alone! I let your love with Raoul flourish! I have stood by passively as he took you from me!"

Christine was caught off-guard. "You killed people..."

"Was that stagehand important to you, Christine?" He hissed. "Now everyone hates me and hunts me down!"

"I'm sorry!" She cried. "The Opera House managers begged me to do it!"

"Enough!" The Phantom turned to face her again. "I shall become a handsome man!" He pulled Christine and kissed her! She became numb with fear and once they parted Christine begun to shriek loudly.

"A monster!" She cried. "A Devil!" She ran over to one of the mirrors. "Look what becomes of you!" Erik looked from where he stood and found that he no longer even appeared human!

"What kind of curse holds me now!" Erik cried. "Its over! Run, Christine! Leave me!" Erik watched as Christine ran out and he begun to destroy all that was in his room, even his organ.

"A true Devil!" Erik sobbed as he started at himself in the mirror. "I am a true Devil!" His skin became black and barbs were sticking out from his skin. Two large horns stuck out of his head and his hair was longer and gray in color.

"Son!" Came Madame Giry's voice. "My poor son! You stole that kiss didn't you?"

"Yes! I-" Erik turned to face his mother. "How-?"

"My son..." She came up to him. "I told you of such things as you slept... for you see I am the real Angel of Music."

"You lied to me!" He roared.

"No! This is what lies inside you Erik!" She shouted at him which caused him to silent himself. "Look at yourself Erik! If you keep calling yourself a monster and believe it you will become it!" Madame Giry grabbed her son's arm and led him out of the French catacombs and they came out of the sewer in the streets in a begger's alley.

"You did this to yourself." Madame Giry sighed. "You stole a kiss. It was if the kiss was GIVEN that you would be turned into a normal man!"

"This really is it, isn't it!" He sobbed. "The point of no return is here! I am a monster forever!"


End file.
